Winner Take All
by CountryGirl914
Summary: After the Doctor and Rose are reunited, he takes her to see a friend. AU D/R reunion, with an AU ending to TLofTL.


* * *

He clings to Rose, clings and clings until he's convinced she won't disappear when he lets go. But then the mobile Martha gave him rings, and he knows instinctively that it's not her calling.

He lets go, answers the phone. Has a quiet conversation that Rose can't quite catch. Explains. (He's never taken anyone else. Jack and Martha are too close, the memories and pain too vivid. But Rose…Rose will understand.)

And then takes her to London, year 3718.

* * *

They step out to a quiet street full of sleek, modern houses. The Doctor leads her to one, up the walk, and knocks on the door. It opens to reveal a thin man with sandy hair.

"John!" the man says, smiling. "Did you forget where I lived? I was wondering if you were ever going to show up." His gaze travels over the Doctor's shoulder and lands on Rose. "And who might this be?" he asks, curiosity piqued.

The Doctor provides the introductions. "Steven, Rose Tyler. Rose, Steven Mason."

Steven's eyebrows shoot up at her name. "_The_ Rose Tyler? He finally found you again? I was dying to meet the person behind the stories."

"All good stories, I hope," Rose says lightly, and extends her hand. Steven takes it and gives it a firm shake, and even after all the Doctor's explanations, she's still slightly surprised to feel warm skin against her palm.

* * *

Steven grabs some beers, and then they sit in the lounge and talk for hours about anything and everything. He explains to Rose how he and the Doctor—he and _John_—bonded over a horrible professor in university and became best mates. He talks about how his work is going—he's a physicist for a corporation in the city. The Doctor spins a story about how the girl he'd lost touch with (her smile feels like it's going to shatter) was finally found again. And they both regale Steven with tales from their recent trip to Chicago. (The fact that it was in 2493, and that they were saving the city from a group of Narobs, is omitted.)

They talk and talk, and only Rose notices the tension thrumming through the Doctor's body.

* * *

The sunshine of the day has faded to darkness and lamplight by the time they leave, promises to return in the morning echoing behind them. (Steven tells them he has plenty of room for them to stay there. They decline.)

They walk back to the TARDIS hand in hand, the only ones on the silent street. They're halfway there before Rose broaches the subject. "Your best mate from university?" she ventures.

The Doctor stares straight ahead. "All part of the story, I guess. Shouldn't even be necessary, but I stayed too long. I should have just dropped him off in the house and left, while he was still unconscious, but I…and then he opened his eyes, and before I could come up with anything he was calling me John and saying that it'd been too long since I last stopped by. I wasn't planning on coming back, but then one day I got a call, asking when I was going to visit again."

Rose rubs her thumb soothingly across his. He clears his throat roughly.

"His wife tried to kill him. Had a gun and everything, but Jack got to her first. Wanted to finish the job, actually, him and Martha both, but I…I couldn't." He scrubs his free hand across his face. Rose pretends she doesn't notice.

"Couldn't leave him on Earth—no human prison could hold him. Thought about keeping him on the TARDIS, but there's always a chance he could escape. I couldn't take that chance." He finally turns to her, eyes haunted. "What else could I do?"

She doesn't have an answer to that. "You did the best you could."

He looks to the ground before him. "He won't be able to turn back. I kept the watch. Put it in a room on the TARDIS that's probably disappeared by now. He'll grow old, and he'll die, and that will be it."

They don't say anything else on the walk back.

* * *

Rose pulls out her key when they reach the TARDIS. They enter, eyes unwillingly drawn to the Chameleon Arch lying ominously on the console. He'd brought it out, to explain.

"He fought me all the way," he tells her, "kicking and screaming. But, knowing him, I think he'd like this. He may not realize it, but he'd like it. The only other Time Lord in existence, right there in front of me, and I can't do anything about it. Can't ever tell him."

His eyes stray to the Chameleon Arch again.

"In the end, he still wins."

* * *


End file.
